For the sauce

Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…

400g can chopped tomato

3 roasted red peppers (from a jar), roughly chopped

Method

Put the pork mince in a bowl and stir in the apple, garlic, breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 16 balls, cover and chill for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 mins, until softened, then tip in the tomatoes and half a can of water. Stir in the peppers along with some salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer for 15 mins.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the meatballs. Cook for 5-6 mins, stirring occasionally until they are browned all over. Set aside and keep warm.

Using a hand-held blender, whizz the tomato sauce until smooth. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 mins, until cooked through. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, drain, then divide between serving plates. Top with the meatballs and sauce.

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Comments, questions and tips

My meatballs fell apart on cooking. However both the meatballs and the sauce were very tasty.

cshobbs

21st May, 2015

3.8

My meatballs fell apart on cooking. However both the meatballs and the sauce were very tasty.

deedeeandme

15th May, 2015

Just picked up this recipe (just for the red pepper sauce only) as my teenager daughter is also a hater of any veg except red peppers. After seeing other peeps comments, decided to add garlic, paprika & extra herbs plus a chicken stock cube. Works out no problem. My girl wolfed down the sauce with chicken added into her spaghetti!! Plenty enough sauce to freeze for a quick meal when needed.

jybay1

17th Feb, 2014

Very nice and the sauce would work well on pasta, even without the meatballs.
I made the sauce with vegetable stock in place of water and added a chilli, some parsley, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, an extra pepper and a dash of mushroom ketchup. Yum.

kathrynv

6th Jan, 2014

4.05

Good, hearty midweek family meal. I added some sage to the meatballs and a little garlic and smoked paprika to the sauce. Everyone enjoyed it - and blitzing the sauce meant that my veg-phobic 10 year old ate it all!

scd32

29th Jul, 2013

Great basic recipe which can be - as earlier comments suggest - jazzed up with very little effort. Fresh chillies, chilli flakes, more peppers in the sauce, more garlic, paprika... whatever.

blackbird17

15th Feb, 2012

3.05

Very easy. I didn't find the sauce bland as some others did, but I did think that the meatballs needed a little jazzing up. I'll make it again but spice up the meatballs a bit.

blackbird17

7th Feb, 2012

3.05

Lovely sauce but I found the meatballs a bit bland. Will make this again but spice up the meatballs a bit.
Very easy.

fareham1

9th Nov, 2011

3.05

I agree that the sauce was bland and also too sweet. It needs chilli/paprika to liven it up.

lindah736

10th Sep, 2011

3.05

Okay but agree with other comments that sauce is bland so I jazzed it up with Italian seasoning for the kids and chilli for the adults. I think I'll do my normal one next time.

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Third time I've made this and would do so again. I made a few adjustments, 2 sweet apples and paprika to the mince. for the sauce I replaced the water for vegetable stock and served with Bronze Die Gourmet Tagliatelle from Aldi .

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